Exercise Videos Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Exercise Videos. See our ratings criteria

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Exercise Videos Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exercise Videos Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Fitness Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	The Top 10 Workout DVDs Editors of Fitness Magazine Feb. 2008		The editors of Fitness "tried and tested countless at-home workouts" and created a list of the best exercise videos in several categories. Also included is a brief reason why the video was chosen, comments from someone who tried the video, estimated calories burned and a clip of the video. However, we don't know how many videos didn't make the cut, which damages credibility. For strength training the pick is "Jeanette Jenkins: 21 Day Total Body Circuit Workout." For aerobics the choice is "Billy Blanks Tae Bo Amped." For all-over body fitness, try the "Bell Express 15 Cardio Fitness Kit." For "instant calm" try the "YogaFit Ultra." If you don't have much time to exercise, the "10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones!" is recommended. For advanced exercisers the "Get Ripped & Chiseled with Jari Love" is a good choice, say editors.

Exercise Videos Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exercise Videos Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. Collage Video.com	Top 10 Exercise Videos Editors of CollageVideo.com As of Apr. 2008		Editors at Collage Video call themselves the "exercise video specialists" -- reviewing and selling exercise videos since 1987. Included are 60-second clips of every video sold on the site -- helpful for catching a glimpse before you buy. The site explains that an ACE-certified instructor and a "regular" person (phone consultants) test and select all 741 workout tapes (out of thousands they've seen). The criteria, however, are explained only in a general way. Video reviews rate level, impact, choreography and toning. We like that the site includes a quick review for every video listed. Customer reviews are also posted, but videos are not ranked (although they are rated with one to five stars). "Jari Love's Get Ripped & Chiseled" gets a perfect score from 76 customers and is also a staff favorite.
3. Self Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Best Fitness DVD Awards Readers of Self magazine Feb. 2005		Over 1,000 readers submit their top choices for best fitness video. The popular reader favorite is "Denise Austin's J.H. Pilates Matwork." Winning for best cardio DVD is "Tae Bo Flex," while "Tae Bo Cardio" wins best kickboxing DVD. The readers' pick for the best ab-sculpting video goes to "The Firm Body Sculpting System 2: Firm Abs." The best new video (in 2005) is "David Kirsch's Ultimate New York Body Plan." Yoga and Pilates-specific DVDs are other categories earning honors.
4. Health >> Details/Subscribe	2005 Best of Fitness Awards: DVDs and Videos Dimity McDowell Jan. 2005		Editors worked with fitness experts to test videos for Health magazine. For weight training, experts choose "Kathy Smith Timesaver: Lift Weights to Lose Weight 2." The best cardio DVD is "Crunch Cardio Salsa with Giselle Roque de Escobar." Testers like "On the Ball: Pilates Workout for Beginners with Lizbeth Garcia," and for beginners, a good choice is "YogaLift: Inner and Outer Strength Workout." The award for the most innovative video goes to "ABC Ball Workout with Patrick Goudeau."
5. Real Simple >> Details/Subscribe	Plug In, Work Out Vicky Lowry Oct. 2004		Fitness experts in five specialized fields sample fitness videos for Real Simple magazine. Their top choices make up this review. "Power Yoga Total Body" is chosen because of the attention to teaching proper form. "The New Method Pilates Precision Toning and Sculpting" accommodates both novices and intermediate viewers. The aerobics-focused "Trainer's Edge Cardio Interval Training" is chosen because of its "inspiring" instructor. In the strength category, editors like "Angles, Lines & Curves," which combines Pilates, dance and Tai Chi. For pregnant women, "Prenatal Pilates with Sarah Picot" offers workout options for each trimester. The review also offers runner-ups honorable mentions in each category.
6. Yoga-for- Health-and- Fitness.com	Yoga Video Reviews Marianne Woods Cirone Not Dated		Marianne Cirone is a certified Yoga instructor who reviews three videos. The top pick is "Yoga for Every Body." This video is Cirone's "new favorite" because it is "perfect" for people who get bored using the same exercise videos repeatedly. Also reviewed is "Yoga Conditioning for Women," but it isn't recommended because "all of the poses are done fairly quickly with little or no explanation." "Yoga for Inflexible People" is also liked because of its "clear instructions and modifications." This Iyengar-style video is good for both beginners and more advanced students and offers many routines to choose from. While only these three videos are reviewed, it's clear that Cirone has tried them out.
7. About.com	My Favorite Yoga Videos Paige Waehner Aug. 29, 2007		As the Exercise Guide for About.com, Paige Waehner chooses "Ali McGraw - Yoga Mind and Body" as her top favorite even though the yoga video has been around awhile. Yoga Journal's "Yoga for Beginners" is also one of Waehner's favorites. This video also comes with a 52-page booklet. "Power Yoga" and "Abs Yoga for Beginners" round out the top four picks. There are some brief comments that accompany each listing, and it does appear that Waehner at least watched these videos herself (though she does not explicitly say so). Note that About.com and ConsumerSearch are owned by the same parent company, but are not affiliated editorially.
8. About.com	Top Cardio Video Paige Waehner June 21, 2007		Ms. Waehner is the About.com Guide to Exercise. In this article she ranks the top ten cardio workout videos. The top choice is the "Cathe Friedrich Imax 2" which is for the advanced exerciser. "Step Reebok: Intense Moves," "Season Zieger's Straight Up Step" and "Christi Taylor's Fantastic 4" round out the top four. As with Waehner's other picks for exercise videos, a few comments lead us to believe Waehner watched these videos, but she does not specifically spell out any testing criteria or offer any other evaluative data (such as calories burned, whether the videos were good for different body areas, etc.).
9. About.com	Top 5 Strength Training Videos Paige Waehner June 21, 2007		Yet another list from Exercise Guide Paige Waehner briefly reviews five strength training videos. The top three picks are all by Cathe Friedrich. Karen Voight's "Great Weighted Workout" is about "muscular endurance and toning." The last choice is "Firm Strength" which combines aerobics with strength training. It's unclear the extent to which Waehner actually used these videos.

Exercise Videos Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exercise Videos Ratings Comments on Reviews

10. FitnessVideo Reviews.com	Most Popular Fitness Videos Editors of FitnessVideoReviews.com As of Apr. 2008		This article reviews the eight most popular exercise videos. The site also sells these eight videos, so the credibility of these reviews, written by unidentified editors, is suspect. A handful of user reviews adds some objective information.
11. Redbook >> Details/Subscribe	20 Minutes to a Better Body Selene Yeager Jan. 2005		Certified personal trainer, Selene Yeager, offers up a Monday-through-Friday exercise plan, with a different video for each day. She says fitness can be achieved in a mere twenty minutes a day: "The secret is in the mix: shifting routines challenges different muscles for the fastest results possible." Because of this, only quick, effective videos are chosen. "Ultimate Body Workouts for Weight Loss" is Monday's cardio pick. "Kathy Smith Timesaver: Lift Weights to Lose Weight Volume 2" works the lower body on Tuesday. Balance and flexibility is achieved on Wednesday with "Baron Baptiste: Journey into Power, Level 1." Thursday is for the upper body with the "Kathy Smith Timesaver DVD." Yeager's week ends with "Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds Express."
12. Paula Z.'s Exercise Video Reviews	Paula Z's Exercise Video Reviews Paula Z. As of Apr. 2008		Paula Z. is a personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) who reviews and rates 200 workout videos. When we visited, dozens of videos were archived alphabetically, rated from two to five stars and identified by workout type and fitness level. Although the individual reviews are very thorough, they are not ranked, you can't sort by ratings and you need to click on each title before you know how Paula rates it. This site is a good place to visit once you've narrowed down your choices. There is also a list of the twelve best videos of 2007 including Prevention's "Drop It in 30" and "Pump Party," but these are not ranked either.
13. American Fitness >> Details/Subscribe	Your Yoga Connection D.K. Howe Sept/Oct. 2007		Four videos are briefly covered, but none are rated or reviewed. This article just describes the exercise videos so we really don't know which one is good or why we should try them.
14. The Seattle Tunes >> Details/Subscribe	Yoga at home: 4 DVDs worth a try Richard Seven Oct. 14, 2007		Richard Seven lists four videos that "merit consideration." While each is briefly described, it's unclear to what extent Seven tried these videos. None are considered better than others.
15. NEA Today	The Guide…to Staying Fit Editors of NEA Today Jan. 2008		This article appears in the National Education Association magazine and includes reviews of three fitness videos. The "Biggest Loser: The Workout, Volume 1" is for beginners. The routine is led by Bob Harper, the trainer for the TV show, and "real people sweat and strain" in the video. "Dancing with the Stars Cardio Dance" lets you dance your way to fitness. Three dancers teach the steps to the Samba and Cha-Cha, sometimes too quickly, but with this video you will feel like you are dancing, not exercising. "Crunch: Belly, Butt & Thighs Boot Camp" has "four levels of exertion for each move" and the instructor carefully teaches each move. We are not told how these videos were chosen or if they were tried out.
16. The Wichita Eagle >> Details/Subscribe	An 'aye' and a 'nay' for new workout videos Karen Shideler Dec, 12, 2007		This article discusses two exercise videos which are reviewed by Terri Johnson, an exercise physiologist. The videos "Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss" and "Better Belly Yoga" are both from Prevention Fitness Systems. Johnson really likes the first video, which is for all levels and also includes a lot of useful information for those who want to lose weight.
17. FitnessInfomercial Review.com	Exercise Video Review Contributors to Fitness Infomercial Review As of Apr. 2008		This site is dedicated to fitness equipment sold primarily on TV. When we checked, opinions were offered on 52 videos. Most videos have more than one review. Popular infomercial titles such as "Power 90X," "Billy's Boot Camp Elite," "Walk Away the Pounds" and "Winsor Pilates" are reviewed by owners, so this site can be helpful.
18. YourExerciseDVDs.com	10 Favorite Exercise DVDs of 2007 Editors of YourExerciseDVDs.com Jan. 2008		The editors feel that of the many DVDs released in 2007, "most offered excellent workouts" but those on their list "stood-out." The top choice is "Women's Health: Total Workout in 10." Each video gets a review that discusses the personality of the instructor more than the exercises, however.
19. About.com	Top 10 Yoga Videos Subhamoy Das Not Dated		Subhamoy Das is the Hinduism Guide at About.com. This list of yoga DVDs bears no particular endorsement, so it's not clear whether Das has actually tried out these videos. Each yoga DVD gets a short description that seems based on the manufacturer's description.
20. Video Fitness.com	Fitness Video Reviews Contributors to VideoFitness.com Not Dated		This site was created in 1997 by self-described fitness enthusiast Wendy Niemi Kremer to publish exercise video reviews written by other fitness enthusiasts. Anyone can submit a review for consideration, though no methodology or guidelines are posted on the site, so the effort is not as credible as the other reviews in our chart. There is a section on favorite videos but the editors admit that the section is outdated because it was difficult to maintain with so many videos meeting their criteria.
21. Library Journal	Chubby Hubby Workout: Knockout Husband Kathy Wicks Mar. 1, 2007		This review discusses the exercise video "Chubby Hubby Workout: Knockout Husband" by fitness trainer Sharyn Pak and her husband. The workout includes boxing and martial arts routines demonstrated by Pak's husband. Kathy Wicks says the video is fun and easy to do.
22. Amazon.com	Fitness Videos Contributors to Amazon As of Apr. 2008		Amazon.com invites visitors to review and rate exercise videos on a five-star scale. Among the titles earning high ratings from contributors are "Leslie Sansone – Walk Away the Pounds" and "Billy Blanks Tae Bo Amped." "Pilates Workout for Dummies" and "The Firm: Total Body" also get many reviews and good overall ratings. The Fitness & Yoga DVDs section on Amazon.com lists upcoming fitness DVD releases by week. Be sure to also check for VHS versions if you prefer tapes.

Exercise Videos Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exercise Videos Ratings Comments on Reviews

23. Epinions	Top-rated workout videos Contributors to Epinions As of Apr. 2008		Like Amazon.com, Epinions asks users to submit their opinions and rate exercise videos on a five-star scale. Thousands of videos are listed, few with more than one or two user ratings; hence the relatively low ranking for this site in our chart. Several videos rated here include "Yoga Zone Conditioning and Stress Release," "Karen Voight's Great Weighted Workout" and "Richard Simmons' Sweatin' to the Oldies."